


Dawn of a New Day

by Sharyrazade



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: All the chapters after 1 and 2 are named for songs, Awkward Crush, Background Relationships, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Compliant, Courtly Love, Cultural Differences, Drabble Collection, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Family Fluff, Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation Spoilers, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gratuitous Majora's Mask references, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Invisible Kingdom | Revelation Route, Marriage Proposal, Married Life, Multi, New Parents, No second generation Characters, Non-Chronological, Only the very first and very last chapter(s) are in chronological order, Overworking, POV Multiple, Post-Canon, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation, Pregnancy, Slice of Life, So-clever-I-know-but-the-songs-make-me-think-of-said-ships, Wedding Fluff, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-09-06 16:08:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8759881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sharyrazade/pseuds/Sharyrazade
Summary: A collection of drabbles based on my playthrough of Revelation. Post-game, Canon-compliant, takes place over a period immediately after the last battle to a year and a half or so.





	1. Festival or Relaxation?

**Author's Note:**

> Exactly what my description says. A collection of drabbles based on my playthrough of Revelation which (as far as pacing, narrative structure, and entire first chapter) totally isn't a blatant reference to the ending credits sequence of one of the greatest Nintendo games of all time, you guys.
> 
> Okay, yes it is. It's totally a reference to the Majora's Mask end credits sequence. How could I not reference the series? Corrin/the Avatar, Azura, and Garon (the latter two getting brief, but very noticeable ocarina solos in their character themes) are fairly-to-extremely transparent references to Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Hell, there's even an omnicidal, misanthropic, being-of-godlike-power who has it in for her and her homeland and is Garon's master!
> 
> With all this said, if you're familiar with the game, you know that this is going to conclude with a drabble about the equivalent of Anju and Kaifei. Feel free to guess who exactly those two are in this equation!

What exactly you were doing, how exactly you got here, even who exactly you are is, for whatever reason, no particular concern of yours. No, after the courage, hardship, despair, and sacrifices needed to take down the usurper of Valla, the mad dragon king Anankos and end his reign of terror, you are far more interested in some well-deserved relaxation after the physically and emotionally exhausting campaign to liberate the forgotten kingdom. And indeed, what better place for it than this? The Nohrian establishment, planned around a bar serving (to the consternation of more than one of your comrades) non-intoxicating, yet delectable beverages, while dimly-lit as part of the cavernous aesthetic, also possesses a homely sort of charm.

The three kings-in-waiting were all in unspoken agreement that the task awaiting them was vast, far greater than any of the three and even with their most loyal and trusted retainers; how does one even begin to rebuild a country torn from time and space itself? Nonetheless, formation of a formal peace (to say nothing of the alliance cemented) between longtime enemies such as Nohr and Hoshido is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence; saving them both from a mad dragon hellbent on destroying the world is a mercifully far rarer occasion, so the week of celebration made proclaimed by a joint decree of the three kings was well received.

As you take in the scenery from your perch at one of the bar stools, you smile as you notice at least some of the tension easing its grip on the minds of your fellows: You notice Lady Azura has done away with her usual mournful song and instead, serenades the establishment with a soulful, soothing, jazzy melody from the stage as Lord Corrin supports her with his inexplicably skilled hands on the piano in the corner. While each reacts in his or her own particular way, the crimes against nature committed by the dragon and the brutal campaign which came as a result, start to recede into the reaches of memory for many of the bar's patrons.

Ryoma, the Hoshidan warrior prince has discarded his intimidating armor for a slow dance with his opposite number, the stunning Camilla, the former having laid his head on her shoulder while she whispers something into his ear. Meanwhile, you chuckle to yourself as you notice Camilla's red-haired retainer becoming slightly irritated with her husband, the perfectionist pegasus knight, having missed literally no dance steps all night. Also, you cannot help but find it somewhat strange to see Prince Xander on that very same dance floor being led rather incompetently by his bride; even if unintentionally, the young lady could be downright graceful cutting through a pack of her enemies, bathed in their blood (and enjoying it!), but seems oddly enough, to have two left feet. The fact that chivalry, a husband's protective instincts, and gravity had all conspired to force Prince Leo into catching his infamously clumsy spouse (even taking him down to the floor a couple of times) repeatedly throughout the night was not surprising to anyone, but perhaps the sight of Nohr's two greatest warriors this vexed by dance steps is off-putting somehow.

Closer to you, it is no less lively: There is the relatively rowdy scene Lady Elise's Amazonian retainer Effie attempting to goad the gruff, red haired ninja Saizo into a milk-drinking competition much to his annoyance, but with Prince Takumi's competitive and boisterous retainer and his equally-competitive wife Rinkah clamoring to meet her challenge. Nearby, as if in their own little world, Princess Sakura is shyly sharing a bowl of ice cream with her retainer; whether this particular sheepishness is due to Hana's status as the greatest swordswoman in Hoshido, if not the world or something else you are not sure. Meanwhile, you are reasonably certain why Princess Hinoka's retainer Setsuna will share her baked goods with her liege and her liege alone while guarding them jealously from any intrusion. Unfortunately for the younger Nohrian princess' other retainer, Setsuna's vigilance was no match for a day bereft of nourishment, the hero of justice being forced to retire from the festivities with complaints of several maladies, particularly respiratory problems and dizziness.

Yes, it was looking questionable, if not bad for a good while there, but now you're sure. This lot is going to be alright for the most part. Even the famously standoffish Prince Takumi and his bride (her parents having been murdered by Nohrian bandits), probably the least likely candidates for doing so, were more relaxed than not.


	2. Untitled (Kaze/Kagero), (Charlotte/Saizo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being run ragged by their assigned tasks, newlyweds Kaze and Kagero are keen on spending an evening on the town. But their evening takes an unexpected turn when a pair of familiar faces make an appearance.

Fewer were better acquainted with Lord Corrin's kind, accommodating nature than Kaze; after his capture in Nohr and given explicit orders to do so by Garon (having devolved into little more than Anankos' puppet by that point), the prince refused the tyrant's order to end Kaze's life, endangering his own in so doing. Upon their reunion, a short time later, Kaze had become certain that Lady Mikoto's vision for his life had been fulfilled and pledged himself to the service of the dragon prince. Still for all his liege's kindness, this stay in the Hoshidan capital was no holiday; it is not exactly an easy task opening a diplomatic mission for a kingdom which had only recently come into existence as far as the world was concerned. It went without saying that Kaze cherished these moments with his beloved, even as mundane as walking the streets of the capital; she was arguably even busier than him.  
"We should head for the park, the cherry blossoms are particularly stunning this year." Kagero remarked with the slight hint of a smile "I'd been meaning to do so for some time now. It's just a shame I left my sketchpad at home."  
"Your wish is my command, my love." replied Kaze, returning the gesture with a peck on the forehead "At least you've been busy with something familiar to us. I only have the faintest idea how I'm supposed to go about this. You have the easy part."  
"Yes, the Nohrian monstrosities, for better or worse, do not seem to be acting in any organized fashion any longer. Prince Leo was here last week attempting to discern some rhyme or reason behind their patterns, but confirmed control over any large number of them is beyond his magical abilities."  
"They're not still attacking towns, are they?"  
"Yes, but they've tapered off since last month; Lady Hinoka's and Hana's troops have culled most of them from the major roads by this point."  
"That's good to hear- Oh, no, not here."

As the couple approached the merchants' stalls, Kagero quickly noted the source of her husband's discomfort. Dressed in a sky-blue yukata, Charlotte announced her presence with a contrived, girlish laugh. Leave it to his sister-in-law to ruin a romantic evening, thought Kaze harshly.  
"Oh, these fabrics are just divine!" she commended the merchant in a tone an octave higher than her actual voice. "And so gracefully feminine!"  
"Hello, Charlotte." greeted Kagero neutrally. "I see you've been enjoying the capital."  
"This woman could enjoy a Nohrian torture chamber with enough disposable income." muttered Kaze, his wife shooting him a glare of strong disapproval.

Apparently, Charlotte had not heard the quip, as she continued innocently.  
"Kagero! And Kaze! How are you?" she greeted. "You know, you two are so cute together! I can't speak for anyone else, but I was always rooting for you two-"

It as apparent to the ninjas as the chilly evening air, Kaze smirked as he picked up on a familiar, ever-so-subtle presence in the immediate area.  
"You can drop the act, babe." came a gruff, gravelly voice. "These two already know."  
"UGH! You big jerk!" shrieked the blonde "It's not for THEM! I'm just tryin' to make a good impression with your people, be a good ambassador for Nohr and all that crap!"  
The fifth bearer of the Saizo name made his impeccably-concealed presence apparent, leaning lazily against a wooden practice blade.

"It's been too long, Brother." acknowledged Kaze somewhat more formally than he'd intended. "I trust the king has kept you busy." "That's one word for it." growled the older twin. "I've been rebuilding the Royal Guard from scratch more or less. Do they take these recruits straight from the nursery or something?"

"Regretting not requesting that transfer for field work yet?" asked Kagero smugly.

"Of course! But what Lord Ryoma needs, Lord Ryoma needs, so I'm not going to complain openly."

Kaze seeking to continue the conversation with his elder brother about work, perhaps in hopes of seeking whatever knowledge possible about his own herculean task in the name of Valla, but found it to little avail; the Lord and Lady Saizo had resumed with their unique back-and-forth.

"So, wait. You'll be home soon, right?" inquired Charlotte, seeming to have calmed down somewhat. "I've been cooking since noon and I'll be damned if I have to deal anymore with these old bats chuckling at me for not knowing the first thing about cooking fish."

"Naturally." Saizo answered curtly. "I just have to go over a few more drills with the newbies before they're dismissed for the evening." "But that could be hours from now!" "Probably not. But even if it is, I'm just as married to the job as I am you."

With a discreet, but forceful pat on the blonde's backside, Saizo disappeared as abruptly and completely as he'd arrived. Charlotte sighed in exasperation.

  
"I swear." she seethed. "Sometimes that man gets me so-"

  
"Worked up?" suggested Kagero innocently. "You DO know him better than Kaze or even I do."

"Perhaps that's the idea?" added Kaze with a light smile.

Of course the green ninja could not help but smile, not only at his sister-in-law's frustration over trivial matters. He'd always known his elder brother to be rigidly diligent and serious to a fault. While this description still fit Saizo like a well-worn glove, Kaze could not help but notice a distinct sort of subtle playfulness in his dealings with Charlotte. Already satisfied and fulfilled by his dream job, being in love would do that to even the most repressed and uptight men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it, the first entry of this drabble collection! I've gotta say, that was both fun to write and really sweet on the part of Kaze and Kagero. In their own semi-dysfunctional way, it was actually kind of sweet with Saizo and Charlotte too. Besides, we all know this kind of schmoozing is something she'd be doing as the fifth Lady Saizo, at least early on.
> 
> Also, I know one of the tags is No second-gen characters/Babyrealms, but the former is only true on a technicality. The very oldest ones like Shiro, Siegbert, and Rhajat do in fact, make some brief appearances in their parents' chapters, but with no real agency as they're infants. And it works well because these three are pretty transparently the oldest in contrast to say, Midori, whose parents are said not to have a lot of time together due to their work. Speaking of the above three, this works on another level because by my reckoning with these drabbles, all three of them would have to have been conceived in sometime between Chapter 19 and the last battle; see distraught Ryoma over Scarlet and Xander dealing with residual abused-son-guilt over his choice.


	3. I've Lost My Mind (Sakura/Hana)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura reflects on the war and, in spite of her own lingering insecurities, receives a declaration of loyalty from Hana even more unbreakable than the one shared between their own fathers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: t.A.t.U - Ya Soshla S Uma/All The Things She Said  
> Justification: Come on, if you're familiar in the least with the song, you know why. Doesn't hurt either that the lyrics fit Sakura's POV/personality really well in this equation.

Hoshidan summers could range anywhere from pleasantly warm to sweltering and humid. Today was one of the latter days, the impending rainy season a relief to all but the Flame Tribe and the gluttonous for punishment. That her retainer, bodyguard, and closest friend Hana refused to neglect her hours of training, even for a solitary day, only cemented the awe Princess Sakura felt in the swordswoman's presence.

"Are you sure you don't want to r-rest for a bit, Hana?" inquired the princess, setting the tray of water on a nearby barrel. "N-not that I think you need it. It's just really hot and-"  
"Not to worry, Lady Sakura!" the swordmaster chirped with a smile, removing her serrated katana from the dummy and holstering the blade. "I'm nearly done anyway, I just wanted to get in a bit of practice with some of these Nohrian training weapons. Besides, if this weather holds up, we'll probably even be able to get to the markets like you wanted."  
"Thank you, Hana, you're just so amazing, you know that?" said Sakura sheepishly, blushing mildly. "I-I just wish I could be more like you. You're so brave, and so strong, and kind, and so pretty... Meanwhile, I'm just so... well, so useless..."

Finishing off one of the containers of water in one massive gulp, Hana actually appeared irate, turning to her liege, setting her hands on the princess' shoulders, looking her dead in the eye.  
"Don't say things like that!" the warrior scolded indignantly. "Why would you even think something so horrible about yourself?"  
"Because it's true!" Sakura cried. "I'm not strong like you or my brothers or courageous like Hinoka or Elise. I even get the people I love hurt when I'm trying to help them! Like the time at the Bottomless Canyon!"

During the Battle at the Bottomless Canyon, with Corrin and Azura's main force still a good distance behind the vanguard and recognizing Hoshido's eldest prince on the front lines, the Nohrian regulars attempted to overwhelm Ryoma's reinforcements through sheer numbers, the sight of their own Princess Camilla at his side doing nothing to stop the assault. With the sarcastic monk Azama having more wounds to tend than he could handle, Sakura raced over to attend to the wounded with her significantly more potent healing abilities. However, her presence (particularly her very distinct, conspicuous hair color) caught the attention of the Nohrian general Hans, relishing a chance to get at the princess of Nohr's hereditary enemy even to the point of cutting down a couple of his own men. Spurred on particularly by his very vocal and graphic threats against her beloved liege, Hana immediately engaged the loathsome brute in a quick but vicious clash. Granted, his tomahawk thrown in panic did leave a not-insignificant wound on the swordswoman's abdomen, but Hana did in fact, provide Hans with a messy end to his sorry life by separating his head from its shoulders.

Closing her eyes and smiling wistfully, Hana looked up once more at the princess.  
"There's nothing in this world I hate more than to see you suffer." she said. "But that one was kind of my fault."  
"W-what do you mean by that?" inquired Sakura gently "Because I've always felt so horrible-"  
"Just between us, it was my own fault for not aiming for his neck in the first place; At first, I was actually aiming just a biiiiiit lower before my training took over and corrected it. And besides, you were right there to patch me up as the Nohrians fell back."  
"Yes, but-"  
"Also, I don't want to hear this nonsense about how you're not like your siblings. You're you, Lady Sakura! That's all you need to be! And I never want to hear you use that word, 'useless' ever again, especially not referring to yourself! Are you aware of just how many lives you saved after we left Fort Jinya? To say nothing of when we went to Valla! In fact, the king and Lords Corrin and Xander all freely admit that we wouldn't have won our last battle against that monster if you and Lady Elise hadn't been there! And then where would the world be?"

Sakura already overwhelmed by emotion and on the brink of tears of joy, she blushed slightly at the sight in front of her. Going down on bended knee, Hana took the princess' delicate, dainty hand into her own, slender, rough, calloused ones. Oh, gods, oh, gods, she asked herself over her racing heart. Where is she going with this?  
"Lady- Sakura." she began, the swordswoman's eyes twinkling with admiration and devotion. "You are the most amazing, kind, wonderful, and considerate person I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Over the past several months, you've showed more courage than I could ever dream of doing. Hell, you're MY hero. I'm honored to be able to call you my liege and my closest friend. But these words aren't strong enough to express how I feel about you, even 'sister' is too weak."  
"Wh-what are you saying, Hana?" inquired Sakura hesitantly.  
"I'm saying that you're my everything, Sakura. I want to make an even stronger vow than the one I first made to you; even one stronger than the one my father gave to yours. I swear to you to be your eternal protector and even more than that, your eternal companion as well. Know that for you, my Sakura, I would conquer the deepest hells and emerge victorious. Even if this world burns and, gods forbid, everyone in your life should turn on you, know that I will always be by your side. I don't make this pledge to you as a warrior to her liege; I make this pledge as a swordswoman who is, and will always be, completely and utterly devoted to the amazing young woman you've become."  
"Oh, Hana..."

As Hana planted a light kiss on her liege's outstretched hand, Sakura felt the knot in her stomach loosening. It was quite relieving to learn that all of these odd, unexpected feelings she had been dealing with over the past few years for her best friend would not end in the heartbreak which she had come to expect should they ever become known to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love these two so much together. Since Erika and Seth in FE8, I've pretty much always adored the liege/retainer ships. Especially with a Killing Edge or Brave Sword, Hana is my girl! A complete badass swordmaster enemy berserkers and magic users have nightmares about.
> 
> Who I don't love? Hans. Fuck that guy, seriously. If the description of the Cheve massacre means what I think it does, he's even worse than Valter from Sacred Stones. And Valter is all but stated to be a serial killer/rapist, that's dark, even for this series. Speaking of that degenerate, you'll recognize my description of Hana's battle with Hans if you used Ephraim to fight Valter when the former delivers one of the most badass lines in the series' history.


	4. Ohne Sie (Ryoma/Camilla)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While contemplating his new fatherhood, Ryoma comes to terms with his longtime attachment issues while opening up somewhat to the most important woman in his beloved Camilla's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: Rammstein - Ohne Dich  
> Justification: It's about a man mourning his lover. Like this song, Ryoma is powerful, but still very emotional; with this in mind, it could easily be extrapolated to his wife/lover and son as well. Hence, Ohne Sie (Without You (plural)). It works on another level as both halves of this ship are powerful, but still very needy (and attractive) individuals.

As a young child, one of Ryoma's most perplexing memories was his father mentioning that he and his birth mother would often simply watch him sleep in his infancy. Such an inclination mystified him and he, of course, never got the opportunity to ask either of his biological parents exactly about the impulse to do so. But with the birth of his son Shiro some two months ago, an inclination so alien to him as a boy now came as naturally as breathing. He had lost count of how much time he and Camilla had spent gazing in admiration and awe at this new, fragile, precious little life they had created together.

"I can just not get over it." she whispered. "He is so adorable!"  
Ryoma grinned.  
"Well, you know where he gets it from." replied the king in a matching tone.  
"Hee hee. Oh, you! Well, he does have your nose, after all. And your eyes."  
"Well, he has your brow."

Planting an unusually chaste (by their standards anyway) kiss on his queen's forehead, Ryoma, the contrast to the early chaos in his familial life quite apparent, simply savored the spectacle of tranquility with a wistful smile. Nonetheless, a twinge of guilt still tugged at his heartstrings, a part of him still nagging him, questioning whether or not would be able to protect these two most important individuals in his life. While he could process and accept the death of his biological mother, Queen Ikona, as she was always sort of a sickly woman. However, throughout his life, his apparent powerlessness to protect those closest to him weighed heavily upon the Hoshidan king. His stepmother, father, and the only other woman who he'd loved in the same way as Camilla however, were either murdered directly by the mad dragon or through one of his puppets; adding insult to grievous injury was Anankos' resurrection of them as his soulless puppets, the latter two seeking him out as per their master's orders. Indeed, the warped forms of his murdered father and lover were probably the only two enemies against which he had ever hesitated to raise his blade, but ultimately did his duty; not only to his father and Scarlet, but to Corrin, Hoshido, Camilla, and the world as a whole.

Yes, it was quite cathartic to hack and slash away at the Silent Dragon's left extremity with all his might until the beast could raise it no longer. Ryoma actually had half a mind to finish off the remainder of the dragon, but ultimately remained true to his, Takumi's, Xander's, and Leo's agreement; the final blow against the monster belonged to Corrin and Azura.

After the battle itself, during their celebration was actually the first he had learned of Camilla's pregnancy, she herself only having been made recently aware of the fact. While Ryoma felt horrible guilt that he allowed, even unwittingly, his wife and unborn son into such peril, upon reflection, he also ultimately concluded that this actually explained much of his behavior during the battle: What with his shrugging off injuries which would have killed a lesser man (and even himself earlier in his training) and fighting on as though mere scratches, hacking through wave after wave of Anankos' morphs as if they were warm butter, his grace and speed even frustrating the dragon's magic at times, and his preternatural feat of permitting nary a scratch on his queen, perhaps he was already aware of his fatherhood on some level, he told himself.

While ever-so-slight as not to wake, the babe, the night's silence was broken by the sound of the door to Shiro's chambers opening, a slight, severe-looking young woman no older than eighteen bowing in deference to the queen and king. "Lady Camilla." began Beruka in her flat, emotionless tone. "Lady Elise and the Nohrian delegation have arrived."  
Camilla smiled softly at the young lady.  
"Thank you, Beruka dear." she replied. "I shall be there momentarily."

Even in the not-especially-form-fitting garb of a Hoshidan queen, Ryoma (and Beruka as well for that matter) was still quite fond of lingering behind Camilla as she walked. Nonetheless, there was still business to attend to, something which had been weighing on his mind somewhat for months now.  
"Beruka, a word?" inquired the king.  
"Of course, sire." the transplanted retainer replied. "Is my performance somehow unsatisfactory?"  
"No, nothing like that! Let's just walk."

Already having proceeded a good ways down the corridor from the opposite direction from the queen, Ryoma still found it not so much a chore, but a challenge to speak with his wife's famously taciturn retainer, so it was something of a surprise when she spoke first.  
"I do not understand." said Beruka, her tone ever-so-slightly-higher. "Do you not wish to meet with the Nohrian nobles?"  
"Those self-important blowhards can wait." the king replied in as casual a tone as could be mustered given the company. "I've something more important to discuss with you."  
"And what is that, sire?"  
"Given all the duties of being Hoshido's crown prince and the headaches surrounding traveling, I would like Shiro to have something... not so tangible of the other half of his heritage. When he is old enough, I would like to ask you to become his tutor in the Nohrian axe-combat arts."  
"I see...Why do you not just ask Lady Saizo? She is Nohrian as well and far more proficient than I."  
"Charlotte? Well, I had considered that, but-"

Eyes darting twice about the corridor conspiratorially, the king continued.  
"I can handle Camilla pretty easily, but may I let you in on a secret?" asked Ryoma.  
"A secret?" replied Beruka, her tone once again somewhat higher.  
"I passed over Charlotte because- Well, she kind of scares me. The cutesy act notwithstanding, one night, I made the mistake of irritating her without said mask. That's one mistake I will not be making again as long as I live."

The young assassin raised an incredulous eyebrow. The Hoshidan king was a man who had charged into battle against Anankos without hesitation or a second thought as far as she knew, not actually having gotten a good look at the beast before it fell to the Yato. Then again, Beruka had remained behind with the remainder of the army to fight off wave after wave of the morphs desperate to relieve their equally-desperate master. And having witnessed having witnessed the unrestrained bloodlust shown by the woman as the left wing commander Saizo's immediate subordinate, Beruka could understand why the king would hesitate to have his son around her.  
"But yes, Beruka," resumed Ryoma. "I'll not deny something of an...ulterior motive for requesting this of you. I realize just how important you are to Camilla, so I felt it appropriate to reach out to you."  
"Interesting..." the young woman said, her tone returning to its neutral orientation. "I would have expected you not to be fond of me given what exactly my...relationship with Lady Camilla entails."  
"Ha ha, it's no real matter, I've actually come to expect it. It's a more common proclivity among Hoshidan noblewomen than you may have first expected. For example, you are familiar with my sisters and their retainers, Setsuna and Hana."

As they passed one of the castle balconies, Beruka turned towards it, gazing pensively at the moonlight sky.  
"Are all your subjects as naive and trusting as you, King of Hoshido?" she asked, some sort of distant emotion cracking through for the first time that night. "Are you aware of what I am? The things I have done for mercenary gain or simply to survive from day to day? It still escapes me; why would you trust me, of all people, around your heir and son?"  
"Yes, I'll not deny it." Ryoma said steadfastly taking a few steps to the girl's side. "This decision did weigh on me a good deal, perhaps not consciously, but I did not make it lightly."  
"So why did you ultimately decide to make it? To trust me with your son?"  
"Because I know fully well that Camilla is just as important to you as she is to me and that you would never do anything to hurt her. And that little boy sleeping in their is more precious to Camilla and I than life itself."

She was loathe and often unable to express it outwardly, but the young lady was actually close to the tears of joy previously reserved (and rarely too) for her beloved liege. Not surprisingly, as Camilla and Ryoma were the only two individuals to place this level of trust in her.  
"Thank you, milord." she said finally. "And I accept your request. When he is able and by the time he reaches his age of majority, Prince Shiro will be among the finest axemen in the world."  
"Ha ha, just don't wear the boy out too much." the king answered with a smile. "He'll need plenty of his father's training before the Raijintō finds him worthy!"

Around a nearby corner, another young woman was once again awed by her sister's social graces.  
"You know something, sis?" said Elise at last. "You've always been a lot sharper than people give you credit for. Especially, when it involves people."  
Camilla simply smiled.  
"Hee hee, that? It was nothing." she replied. "It simply just would not do have either of my darlings not trusting one another."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now you know what Camilla was whispering about to our favorite lobster lord back when they were slow dancing after the battle with Anankos. And yes, my use of the term "morphs" for the undead Vallite forces was a reference to Nergal and his morphs from Blazing Sword, because that's exactly what they were.
> 
> BTW, it just recently clicked for me that Camilla/Beruka = fem!Ike/fem!Soren as far as the backstory and dynamic is concerned; Beruka even acts a lot like Soren. Finally, I saw where people could get that with Birthright, but after playing Revelation, I have to agree; Scarlet and Ryoma totally banged.


	5. Wild Thing (Xander/Peri)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Returning from state business in Izumo much to the relief of the help, Peri's pregnancy worries move Xander to confront one of his longest-standing flaws in the pursuit of becoming a better husband and father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: The Troggs - Wild Thing  
> Justification: It does in fact, explicitly describe the Nohrian prince's taste in women. See here: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AmazonChaser

"But, but milady! All I was saying is that this is quite normal for women who-"  
"GET THE FUCK OUT!"

The butler narrowly avoiding the glass dish sent hurtling at his throat courtesy of Nohr's very distraught queen, he decided very quickly that it would be wise to make himself scarce before the queen decided to test the set of Hoshidan knives her kuniochi friend had gifted her on his face.

While he was of course, a loyal Nohrian and devoted servant of the royal family, the butler found a part of himself wishing he could kick King Xander. Of all the eligible maidens on the continent, what cruel force of nature could have compelled him to take the feared Blood Countess as his wife? While she was never fond of the help for reasons she would never exactly divulge, Lady Peri would at least be generally civil; with her husband around, she could even be oddly pleasant to them at times. But some three months of her being with child had proven an absolute nightmare. Oddly enough, said pregnancy had not yet resulted in any deaths among the castle staff. Granted, one of the maids had been transferred after being maimed, but her well-known habit for intentionally provoking others for her own amusement and the queen's depression that day, made the incident, while regrettable, not exactly surprising.

"We offered you the armor, Joachim." said a fellow butler. "You chose not to take it."

  
"Please tell me they're not having any more brats after this." groaned a second butler. "I don't know if I can take any more of this! Ever!"

  
"While you obviously have never been such yourself, young man." began one of the maids, a woman in her mid-forties and a mother herself. "But have you ever spent any length of time around a pregnant woman? This kind of thing is to be expected."

"Eh, I don't see what you youngsters are getting so worked up about." interjected a second maid, easily in her sixties. "All nine or so months, Queen Katerina was actually worse when she was expecting."

"Oh, thank the gods!" exclaimed a third butler. "The king has returned!"

 

As rehearsed countless times previously, in Castle Krakenburg's entrance hall, the servants and retainers stood at attention, their perfect formation befitting that of a small military unit as the great doors creaked open.

"Welcome home, Lord Xander." drawled the head retainer. "So nice to have you back. I trust Dukes Toscana and Bourgone treated you well?"

For the first time in days, the monarch cracked a genuine smile.

"I'd rather not talk about work, Laslow." replied the king tiredly. "But yes, it is always good to be home. Has everything been well these past weeks?"

"More or less. As you commanded, the last of Iago's dreadful 'research' has finally been burned, the Hoshidan merchants' guild's crop experiments around the capital are proceeding swimmingly, Per- er, Lady Peri...has been better, and I do believe those twins assigned to the north wing have-"

The king shot his retainer an annoyed glare.

"I've no interest in your frequently-attempted, but doubtlessly-failed sexual escapades, Laslow." said Xander sternly. "No, I wish to speak with my wife."

"Oh, of course. Very well then."

In spite of the stern, imposing image which he had semi-consciously cultivated over the years, Nohr's new king could actually be quite personable and warm to those whom had gained his trust and the mysterious mercenary had somehow found himself among the ranks of this chosen few over the past few years. While Laslow after several months, still found addressing his former fellow retainer (while a noble in her own right) awkward due in no small part to her outranking him considerably, the conversations with his liege interestingly enough, were almost brotherly in tone and content.

"You've been ambiguous about it, that's for sure." reminded Xander as they navigated the few remaining corridors. "But you will be able to attend Corrin's wedding, correct? While I've been told his own man, Sir Kaze is to be largely responsible for securing the festivities, it would calm a lot of anxious nerves around here to have my right-hand man coordinating with Kaze. Not that I, Peri, or any of our guests would actually need it, but still."

"Yes, of course, milord." answered Laslow. "It simply will not do for someone of my stature to miss a momentous occasion such as this. Besides, I love weddings! The pomp, the circumstance, the emotions, the bridesmaids-"

Xander managed a grin of amusement at this image and chuckled softly.

"Good to hear it." said the king. "I'm sure the new king and queen of Valla would be just so very mildly disappointed had you been unable to attend."

Sharing a laugh with his liege at the expense of his own romantic desperation, Laslow took the non-verbal hint, leaving his liege to his duties as a husband towards his distraught spouse. Rapping on the door to their bedchamber, Xander received an almost instantaneous response as the door creaked open.

"Laslow!" shouted the queen. "I swear, if this is another-"

The young lady's expression shifted from one of simmering rage to a vaguely contented sort of melancholy at the sight of her beloved.

"Oh, Xander!" Peri cried, throwing herself in his embrace. "I just don't know what to do! It's just been so overwhelming!"

Wiping some of the tears from his queen's face, Xander smiled at her serenely.

"It's alright, my love." he reassured softly. "Tell me; what has troubled you so?"

 

While having regained some of her composure, it was still apparent that Nohr's queen was still not in the best of spirits.

"I've just been worrying so much about everything!" Peri sobbed, wiping her face with her dress sleeve. "Will the baby be healthy? What if something goes wrong? What if something goes wrong and it's my fault? Will I be a good mama? It's gotten to the point where I'm having trouble sleeping most nights! And I just get SO angry the next day when that happens!"

Sweeping some of his wife's disheveled hair from her face, Xander continued.

"You need your sleep, Peri." he said softly but sternly "You always have and even more so now. And spending so much time worrying about these things, while it's natural to some degree, will only accomplish so much. It's like I've told you since we first learned about the baby: We've gotten through far worse things and we'll get through this alright too."

"So you really think I'll be a good-"

 

Now King Xander, much like with his country, loved his wife with all his heart. However, there was some part of him which would not allow him to lie and say "I know you'll be a great mother, Peri," interrupting his queen instead with a deep, passionate kiss. How could he bring himself to tell her an untruth? Xander had spent so much of his life lying; lying to the outside world, lying to the court at Castle Krakenburg, lying to Garon, lying to "Garon," lying to Corrin, lying to Camilla, lying to Leo, lying to Elise, lying to Nohr, and perhaps most of all, lying to himself. This woman, the love of his life, his comrade-in-arms, his queen, and the mother-to-be of his child had shown him nothing but loyalty and truthfulness, even being truthful to the point where others would fear and despise her.

"I'll tell you what, Peri." he said with a newly-confident smile. "For the next several months, until our child comes, I will make certain to conduct my business in the capital. Whenever you need me, I'll be no more than an hour away."

"Really?" asked Peri, her face beaming. "You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. I am the king, after all. Besides, if it requires me to leave the capital, I can simply delegate it either to Laslow or Leo and his two minions. But the fact is that we're seeing this through together like always. We can do damn near anything when we do that."

"Yeah! We're awesome like that, aren't we?"

"I could not agree more, my love."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, at first, I was actually surprised by how uncommon this one was/is....for all of thirty minutes after really getting back into this fandom. Half of this ship is a pretty controversial character anyway. But I was aware that it was a potential minefield and chose to hop in of my own volition, so I should be able to defend my reasoning for shipping one of the most-loved playable characters with one of the most hated:
> 
> \- I already mentioned adoring the retainer/liege pairings and I paired Ryoma with Kagero when I played Birthright, so when it clicked for me that Peri is Kagero's counterpart (hence, Ninja Peri, a reference to a thing I did in my second Awakening playthrough with Berserker (or Assassin) Henry; don't knock it till you've tried it!) , it was a natural transition to the other two routes. Plus, given her appearance/mannerisms/voice in the non-Japanese dubs, I'm like 75% sure Peri is the Harley Quinn of Fates, so shipping her with her male boss felt even more natural with that in mind. (Still don't see why the localization team wouldn't humor us with even ONE Joker reference from Xander)
> 
> \- But unlike the Joker (who intentionally eggs her on most of the time) and Harley, Xander can and will keep Peri's worst traits mostly under control to the point where she can function decently. Not perfectly by any means, but what is in this life? In fact, their ending heavily implies-to-states-outright that Xander's long-term influence is somehow therapeutic on her.


	6. One Million Arrows (Oboro/Takumi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even faced with tangible proof of all his good works as Ryoma's right-hand man and Hoshido's reconstruction minister, Takumi still struggles with his inferiority issues. Paying a surprise visit from the capital, Oboro brings an equally surprising guest with her to aid in her pep talk for her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: Sia - One Million Bullets  
> Justification: It's about a girl completely and utterly faithful and loyal to this guy, even if the guy might be worried about how he measures up

"There! That's the last of them!" said Prince Takumi proudly as a shaft from his bow struck down the last troublesome crow. "The main danger to your crops has passed and the birds should replace some of the village's food losses for a month or so."

"Thank you, milord!" exclaimed the village elder, raising his hands in gratitude and triumph. "We are forever in your debt! Whatever can we do to repay you?"

"Start training some of the farmers on the yumi, just in case."

 

With the crowd of villagers crowding around him, expressions of gratitude and awed questions from the youngsters, the prince could not help but smile and who could blame him? He'd always loved doing things with his hands and putting his skills to use to aid his people was one of Takumi's greatest sources of joy.

As the crowd eventually dissipated with some questions answered and others danced around for touching on sensitive issues, Takumi's usually-remote expression softened considerably at the sight of a blue-haired young woman, her self-confident smirk in no way diminished by the presence of their infant daughter in her arms.

"Oboro, I didn't expect you here!" he greeted, pleasant surprise apparent in his tone. "I wouldn't have expected there to be much to interest you out here. Even Tosa itself is pretty far out of the way."

"Oh, it was nothing." the spearwoman replied, her expression turning to a genuine grin. "Besides, it's not that far at all by cart and Makoto was missing her papa, just like me."

 

Embracing his erstwhile retainer and the mother of his child, Takumi then affectionately tussled the tufts of snowy hair on the babe's head. Even months after the birth of his daughter, the notion of creating this tiny little life completely dependent upon him and Oboro just filled him with an awed and protective affection. Intellectually, the prince understood what his elder brother spoke of with his nephew Shiro, but viscerally, there was nothing which could truly compare to the sensation.

"And how are the two most important ladies in my life?" the prince asked playfully.

"I'm not a big fan of the the method of transport, but Makoto seems to be." answered Oboro. "She was fussy all morning, but now, she's sleeping like- well, a baby,"

"That's good. When you said neither of you could sleep last night, I was kind of worried."

"So, what's all this commotion about anyway?"

"Garon's minions had done something to make the crows in the area bigger and more aggressive, either through magic or breeding. Needless to say, it wasn't good for this village and the surrounding area."

"Ugh, isn't that just like those sickos?"

 

While still satisfied overall with his work as he watched the nearby farmers resewing their devastated fields, the prince, while proud of his work, could not entirely resist the of feeling biting inferiority which had plagued him much of his life.

"Do you think what I'm doing is really making a difference?" Takumi asked absentmindedly. "I mean, in the greater scope of things?"

"Where did this come from all of a sudden?" replied Oboro with a frown. "I mean, you just saved this village and plenty of others!"

"I know, I know. It's just that I look at people we know like Ryoma or Corrin and how much they've accomplished already in their lives and I can't help but feel somehow...inadequate, like I'm somehow worth less than them."

 

Oboro growled slightly, her expression shifting from one of annoyance to one of mild anger.

"I thought we agreed that you were going to stop that kind of talk and thinking!" she scolded. "Not just for you and me, not just for Hoshido, but for her most of all!"

"I know, I know!" Takumi protested, his expression turning downcast. "I promised it plenty of times, but you have to admit-"

"Takumi, listen to me. Do you know exactly how many lives you've saved, in and outside of battle? How many times you've saved my life inside it?"

"Well, when you put it that way-"

 

Stepping closer and clasping her husband's cheek with her free hand, Oboro continued.

"Listen, the king and Lord Corrin are great and I respect them a lot," she resumed tenderly. "But as far as I'm concerned, they don't hold a candle to you. You're my husband, the love of my life, the father of my child, and my best friend. Those things alone make you more greater than either of them combined in my eyes."

Their daughter a nonissue for those few moments, Takumi pulled his bride into a deep, needy kiss before breaking it off.

"Oboro..." he whispered. "Thank you. Thank you so much...for everything."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Kiragi has an older sister. At least one older sibling anyway. Come on, the kid was like 12 and his parents are still technically teenagers, older ones (16-18 as far as I can tell), but still teenagers nonetheless. And what's the one thing (that's not fighting with their parents) that people that age don't even have to be told to do? Exactly. 
> 
> So the equation looks like this: Attractive teenagers who are crazy about each other/can't keep their hands off of one another + said teenagers actually being encouraged to bone = Kiragi has at the very least, one older sibling, probably several by the time he's born.


	7. Interlude - A Song of Blood and Silence (or a guide to imagining the last battle)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A Cliffnotes-style explanation of how I imagined their final battle with the Silent Dragon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After dropping hints about what exactly their last battle with Anankos entailed, I had considered writing a chapter about it, but decided against it; there would have just been too damn much going on more or less at once, so I just decided to give an abridged narrative of what I'd imagined and what I did/would have done in my game had it not been for this: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArbitraryHeadcountLimit

\- Lacking both the presence of mind to use his magic to do so and too distracted/angry by Corrin's group, one of Anankos' roars is actually him issuing a call to arms for his remaining morphs. As such, he's unable to use it to call them to his side, just his general area.

\- In the area immediately behind the ruined castle, the characters who hadn't gone to do battle in the throne room spot a literal army of Vallites on the horizon, no apparent formation or tactics, just charging forward with the goal to break through in mind.

\- As the highest-ranked acting as the highest-ranked Hoshidan and Nohrian and respectively Saizo and Jakob organize the Hoshidan and Nohrian units into defensive lines.

\- In normal circumstances, he would have commanded the left wing, but for his penance, Gunter (dragging Silas and Kaze with him) insists on commanding the center and has a "you shall not pass" moment _a'la_ Gandalf before slaughtering as many, even more morphs, than thought humanly possible for a man of his age and ability.

\- With their lieges and promise to Anankos in danger, the Awakening trio (Owain/Odin in particular) request to attack the few morphs who had broken through and ultimately join Corrin's group. Jakob, being concerned about their line breaking, hesitates, but Niles, Beruka, Effie, and Arthur all insist they'll be fine and demand they go protect Elise/Camilla/Leo/Xander and he relents.

 

**And for the actual battle itself:**

 

\- Exhausted Awakening trio arrives for the tail end of Corrin's "fight for your friends" speech.

\- Ryoma and Camilla go to attack Anankos' left (right?) arm as alluded to in Chapter 3, while Xander/Peri do the same with the remaining arm.

\- Sakura trails behind Ryoma to keep him in decent shape while Hana picks off the morphs dangerous to Sakura and the ones distracting to Ryoma.

\- Elise serves a similar role for Xander and Peri, with Takumi and Oboro keeping the right side of the area reasonably clear of Vallites.

\- Hinoka drags Setsuna along and takes charge of relieving anyone in danger and orders Severa, Owain, and Inigo to remain in the center and clear out the morphs harassing Corrin (not that he needs it).

\- With his arms disabled, as a desperation move, Anankos starts calling morphs in more noticeable numbers, Ryoma and Xander fall back to start defending their flanks.

\- With ~~Demise's~~ Anankos' eye form exposed, (who else but?) ~~Link~~ Corrin paired up with ~~Zelda~~ Azura, duels the silent dragon, the princes knowing full well he's more powerful than any of them, maintain their gentleman's agreement to allow the duel, Elise and Sakura only allowed to "interfere" by healing him at a distance.

\- Corrin delivers the finishing blow(s) with Dragon Fang and one of his very situation-appropriate critical quotes, finally putting an end to the dragon's madness and giving his slaves the peace they deserve.


	8. Animal (Felicia/Leo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Understandably feeling neglected in their marriage due to the younger Nohrian prince's heavy workload, Felicia's visit with Leo and his normally-icy exterior remind the clumsy maid why exactly she fell in love with him in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: Animal - Ellie Goulding  
> Justification: Come on, just look at the lyrics.

_"And finally Niles, should ever you feel compelled to ask whether one of your methods of 'forceful' coercion is appropriate, then it is not appropriate. In fact, wait for my explicit approval before proceeding in such a manner."  
_

Signing the letter in his impressive, unmistakable penmanship and stamping the paper with his personal seal, Prince Leo sighed in frustration and fatigue. Being deployed to one of Nohr's most remote provinces to uproot some of the most entrenched and corrupt special interests in the country (the dukes in the far north and the nearby mountains having formed wheat cartels monopolizing a good half of Nohr's wheat production suggested either extreme stupidity, corruption, or both, simply in different areas of the country) was never going to be an easy, stress-free task and those nobles either too pig-headed or greedily self-interested to acquiesce to the demands of Xander's new agricultural directives were using every possible avenue available to stall for the time necessary to cement as much of their own shares in the corruption as possible.

Parasites, thought Leo angrily. It did not help that his two retainers, the only two men he could really rely on were between themselves either distracted and prone to flights of daydream (and on occasion, melancholy) even more than usual and the other practically begging to convince the local nobles to comply with the royal edicts using some _less-than-licit_ methods of persuasion. Whether this was due to his own frustration at the impasse or his own desire for some twisted amusement in these remote lands, Leo attributed it to some combination of the motives, one taking precedence over the other depending on the current day and circumstances. Nohr's younger prince understood fully well his brother's elation at and preoccupation with his imminent fatherhood and that Peri was going to be the primary focus of his attention for the next several weeks, but by the gods; would it have really killed him to send some more help up here? Even one of Elise's retainers would have worked wonders, preferably Effie, but at this point, Leo was beyond being so choosy.

The door of the semi-abandoned inn's study creaking open over the fireplace, Felicia entered the room, a tray of tea and appropriate china in tow.

"Milord." she chirped. "Our tea, exactly as you like it!"

"Felicia, dispense with this 'milord' nonsense." replied Leo sternly, his expression still betraying a hint of softness. "I am your husband, you are my wife; there's no need for such formality."

"I know you've told me that before, but it's a force of habit! And even when we're at the castle- Woah!"

With a perhaps-unexpected grace for a mage, the prince, being well-attuned to the Felicia's balance issues, deftly intercepted both the tray in one hand and his spouse in the other, returning the former to his desk.

"So sorry!" she said. "But at least I didn't get any on your papers this time!"

Leo shook his head lightly. "It's not a problem." he assured, pushing his letters off to the side of his desk to be safe. "Also, I have some of my best chemists working on it; I'm sure that they'll be able to do something about your ear problem. Soon, these episode's shan't trouble you further, my darling."

"Oh, you're so sweet! I really, really don't deserve you!"

 

Felicia could scarcely still believe it herself at times; the chilly maid had been married to Leo for little under a year now and if someone had told her that the icy, occasionally-downright-frightening Nohrian prince would have stolen her heart, she'd have considered them utterly mad. But life has an interesting way of working out, and Felicia's was no exception.

"You know something?" resumed Felicia, taking a sip from her own cup. "When we first met, I was actually afraid of you!"

The prince raised an eyebrow. "Really?" he inquired, before briefly reflecting upon the images he and Xander had been raised to uphold. "That's kind of difficult to imagine, seeing us now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but really a lot of people are, so I wasn't really alone."

"Well, that can have its benefits at times. I do have an image to uphold, and a particularly beneficial one in trying times such as these."

"True, but people like Lords Corrin, Xander, Lady Elise, and especially me know the truth about you and that's all that matters."

"And what might that truth be?"

 

Felicia smiled softly. "That deep down, you're just a big old softie."

Apparently, these words were enough to receive the maid's hoped-for reaction. Rising from his desk, Leo gave Felicia his unique, vaguely predatory glare which he reserved for her and her alone. "Oh, so you think I'm soft, is that it?" he inquired with a dangerous smirk.

Suddenly approaching her from behind, Leo gave her backside a brisk slap, eliciting a yelp of shock and anticipation from Felicia. "I think you've been a very naughty girl." crooned the prince, inching closer to his bride's ear.

"Oh, yes milord!" the maid confessed, her voice already high with anticipation. "Yes, I have been so very bad!"

"I think make clear to you just how 'soft' I really am, my precious Felicia; I know what I should do. I should take you over to that bed over there-"

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know where I got the idea of Felicia having a thing for being talked dirty to (99% sure she has some kind of inner ear problem though). I guess because her personality's really submissive anyway and I could definitely see Leo being into having his sexytimes being more than a little...rough, just due to the whole package (looks, demeanor, voice, everything) with him really. Not to the degree of say, Sephiroth, but in that general neighborhood.


	9. Kryptonite (Effie/Arthur)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Always an abject terror to her enemies rivaled by few in the world, Effie has recently begun to unintentionally terrify one of the continent's bravest men. After countless hours spent training and fighting together, Arthur admits his one and only weakness - he is smitten with his fellow retainer and no number of freak accidents will prevent him from confessing to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: Three Doors Down - Kryptonite  
> Justification: Come on, it has to do pretty explicitly has to do with superheroes and the first and second verse respectively (as well as the chorus) fit Arthur and Effie pretty well.

~~~~Even if not ultimately preventing him from suffering some sort of physical pain, Arthur had always been the fearless sort, no matter what sort of enemy with which he'd been faced. From Hoshidan "savages" (a term he had always been uncomfortable with) in skirmishes, to common bandits preying on villagers, to the Silent Dragon's morph horde bent on the annihilation of the world for the sins of a few, his courage could easily be called heroic. But for all his bravery, even when it bordered on foolhardy, Arthur could well admit to himself that he was in possession of one weakness, that weakness no enemy or hardship, but one of his closest comrades, a fellow retainer for Princess Elise, who lately had the unwitting power to drain away his bravado like a puddle on a hot summer day.

He was not exactly sure what had attracted him to the amazon or when exactly it happened; perhaps it her strength and single-minded dedication to whatever task she was assigned or the kindness her fearsome strength belied. Perhaps it was on one of the many occasions where her courage and strength had saved Arthur's own life or when she single-handedly held off thirty morphs attempting to relieve the dragon during their final battle. Whatever the case may have been, Arthur was determined to see that this occasion go as close to perfect as could reasonably be expected with his luck.

For months, he had been putting aside the bulk of his pay and scouring Windmire's many jewelry merchants for a suitable band for his beloved. Interestingly enough, one of Prince Leo's retainers, the theatrical-yet-enigmatic Odin admitted to being in a similar conundrum of being the secret admirer for someone whose status intimidated him on some level. To that end, every night for the past eight weeks, Odin had aided Arthur in rehearsing the confession, often lasting into the late hours of the night. Despite the occasions where he would lose the various trinkets standing in for a ring and the particularly-awkward rehearsal which fellow retainer Niles overheard (and would never let him live down as long as he lived), the hero's confidence about the endeavor was fair, if not good as he approached Effie on the training grounds, clearing his throat exaggeratedly.

"Hello there, Effie." Arthur greeted, his tone somehow unnaturally stunted. "Fine night, isn't it?"

"Oh, Arthur, you're just in time." Effie grunted, heaving the practice spear from the dummy's insides, placing it with the remainder of her practice weapons. "Could you hand me that flask next to you?"

Well familiar with the sheer amount of water his fellow retainer required in the course of her workouts, Arthur, with some slight discomfort, lifted the considerably-sized bottle from its position over to Effie. Giving her several moments to drain the container of a good third of its contents, as the moment came for the figurative plunge, Arthur felt some of his old courage return.

"Effie, this conversation is somewhat awkward, but I would be doing us both an injustice not to do so." he resumed. "But you trust me and are fond of me, yes?"

"Well, yeah, of course." responded a puzzled Effie. "How could I not after all we've been through together?"

"Well, Effie, I am fond of you as well. In fact, very much so, particularly as of late. It's no small question, but-"

 

Interrupting his own monologue, Arthur's normally proud expression giving way to a gentle one reserved solely for his fellow retainer.

"Effie-" he began, patting around his shirt and pockets. "Oh, cripes, not again! That's the third one this month!"

The amazon, touched by the display, chuckled an uncharacteristically girlish chuckle. "Of course I'll marry you, Arthur." she confirmed. "It took me a while to notice, but you're just so...well a lot like Lady Elise. You're just so energetic and full of life, but still somehow vulnerable. I just want to protect and love you forever!"

"Excellent! But wait! How did you know exactly what I was going to ask you?"

"Well, you were nervous and blushing the whole time, were about to go down on one knee, and you were complaining about losing something expensive."

"Ha ha ha, well it seems my luck has actually worked out for me this time!"

"Hee hee, you could say that again. Come on, I'll help you look for the ring."

 

By this point, the training grounds, even with the torches' illumination, were fairly dark and their considerable expanse made searching on one's hands and knees a most unappealing proposition. Immediately after expending the time and energy to help his lady love from her armor, a beast with far better low light vision than a human being, an owl, had swooped onto the grounds, taking the ring in its beak. Even more unusually (if not downright unnaturally), as the owl took flight into the night sky, it was intercepted by a hunting falcon. In the couple's sheer joy, Effie and even Arthur could not help but laugh at the sheer farce of the incident surrounding the fourth ring's loss.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that turned out about as adorable as I had intended. Poor Gaston- er Arthur! Nothing seems to go right for him, but it worked out in the end!  
> And as far as Effie's explanation, no that's exactly what I meant it to sound like. I'm pretty sure Effie was bi, just preferring guys, just like her Hoshidan counterpart who really heavily prefers girls...named Sakura.


	10. Teenage Wasteland (Nyx/Hayato)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a dispute with an innkeeper, Nyx reflects upon and appreciates her husband's sheer youthful energy; after all, said youthful arrogance and energy need not necessarily be a source of sin and destruction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: The Who - Baba O' Reilly  
> Justification: I don't even know anymore. It's probably one of the most iconic (certainly catchiest) songs ever recorded and a good deal of the time I don't really know why I associate some music with something or another. But if I had to guess, I'd say its thanks [something The_Apocryphal_One wrote once that I associate the song with this game's teenage characters.](http://theapocryphalone.tumblr.com/post/146876276856/25-with-camilla-and-shiromother-and-son) Particularly with Shiro doing something young and foolish or just plain stupid.
> 
> Although in Shiro's case for me, he fits more with the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme. Admit it, it's not that difficult to see him as the Fresh Prince of Valla to Uncle Corrin's straight man and Aunt A being equally unimpressed by his freewheeling antics. Hell, he even scared his dad by getting into "one little fight" (which could have very easily ended in him being killed) and sent to ~~live with his Auntie and Uncle in Valla~~ join his uncle's army so Ryoma can keep an eye on him.

"That's very funny, kid, now move along. The weather's turning pretty intense soon and I'm expect actual customers."

"No, you don't understand. I'm Chief Fuga of the Wind Tribe's right hand and adopted son and I'm on a very important mission. It's about Prince Leo and the king's agricultural policies. We must have just missed him. Could you tell us where he was headed?"

"Ha! Like I'm going to tell some kid about the itinerary of one of Nohr's most important and influential dignitaries? Even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you."

"Look! This letter is marked with his seal! That should be proof enough."

"That's a pretty nice mock-up, kid. How much did it run you?"

"Hold on, just let me get my wife right quick. She's spent a lot of time in the castle; she can vouch for its authenticity."

"Look kid, I've indulged this charade long enough. It was cute the first three times, but now it's just old. Either buy a room for the night or get out."

"Hey! Hey! Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you! I am a man, dammit! And I demand to be treated with the respect I am due!"

 

As the mage fumed and raged at the innkeeper, Nyx simply sighed and rolled her eyes. What kind of example was this setting for their daughter anyway? "Hayato, just stop it." she scolded. "There's another inn across town. If a caravan left recently, I'm sure they'll be aware of it."

"Yeah, you're right, I guess." Hayato replied resignedly. "It's just that after everything we've been through and accomplished, it still pisses me off to be treated like just some playacting kid."

"I'd never seriously thought about it before, but I can definitely see why you would feel that way. I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize, Nyx. You are my better half, after all."

 

It was not an unusual occurrence for Nyx to lose sight of what exactly attracted her to the precocious mage in the first place, particularly with frustrating expressions of youthful hotheadedness (and there had been worse in their post-war travels!) such as with the innkeeper. Not to mention the semi-ubiquitous assumption that they were mere children with crushes, she in reality, being old enough to be Hayato's mother. But that wasn't to say that such a combination of youth, hotheadedness, and more than a touch of insecurity couldn't prove to be...enjoyable on occasion; the presence of their little bundle of darkness, Rhajat was proof enough of that.

No, what had truly drawn the listless, cynical sorceress to Hayato was that sheer enthusiasm, vitality, and (occasionally foolhardy) courage; virtues with which she had long since ceased to associate with youth and he'd demonstrated these no better than in Corrin's campaign against the Silent Dragon and the bloody battles with his lifeless slaves. Particularly during the morphs' last, desperate charge charge to relieve their master; as the Hoshidan line struggled under the sustained pressure, Hayato, at great risk to his own life, single-handedly held off a wave of morphs before Saizo could order the lines stabilized once more. While Nyx reprimanded him harshly for the stunt after the fact, secretly, she was in awe of her husband's youthful, heroic daring, a fact she only let slip in bits and pieces for months afterward.

Nxy gave an uncharacteristic smile as she recalled the memories she and her very colorful husband had made in the past several months. Perhaps most interesting of all was the fact that her somewhat-immature husband had captured her heart in fighting an enemy which had challenged some of her closest-held, decades-old assumptions; against an enemy whose age destroyed any and all wisdom he had once possessed, leaving behind only pride and madness.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come to think of it, it's entirely possible that I had Anju and Kafei in mind when writing them too. They've even got hair colors in common. But then again, that would only really work if Nyx looked her age.


	11. The Next Episode (Hinoka/Setsuna)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Hinoka discusses her unexpectedly-spartan tastes in formal wear with her sister-in-law before Corrin's wedding, they find the disarray in Oboro's workshop to have an interesting source...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended (half in jest) music: Dr. Dre ft. Snoop Dogg - The Next Episode (Instrumental)  
> Justification: A song about weed and anything to do with Setsuna? It's such a mystery!

"No really, it's fine Oboro." insisted the fiery-haired princess. "Honestly, I'd just considered asking you to make me a new dress uniform as opposed to anything special or fancy."

"Alright, if you're sure." replied Oboro tentatively, repositioning the mass of fabric on her left shoulder. "It's just not every day your baby brother weds his queen after all and with what the queen has me working on, I was expecting to have to get started now."

"No, I was never a fan of formal wear and would avoid wearing it if at all possible. Way too constricting."

"What about Setsuna? Any special requests from her?"

"I think just retouching one of her kimonos would work, being in line with our nice-and-expensive-things-to-an-absolute-minimum policy."

"Yeah, why do you two have that again anyway?"

 

As the two women returned to Oboro's workroom, she received her answer immediately, the prince's wife became a quite irate seamstress at the mayhem Setsuna had caused in their brief absence, the perpetrator herself somehow trapped in a great roll of fabric, little Makoto having the time of her life attempting to roll the archer across the destroyed workplace with some degree of success. "Well, Lady Hinoka." Oboro said exasperatedly. "With all due respect, this is the last time I let your girlfriend babysit my daughter. Or any children I should have for that matter."

The princess simply sighed. "No, I understand." she conceded as the two went to tend to their dependents.

 

Oboro spiriting her daughter away from the semi-warzone, Hinoka closed her eyes briefly, shaking her head and smiling softly as she knelt by her absentminded retainer's side.

"Oh, hey Lady Hinoka." she greeted nonchalantly. "I was playing with Makoto, tripped onto one of the tables and the next thing I knew, I fell into this trap here."

"How did you even manage this?" the princess inquired, a small hint of awe in her tone. "Is this kind of damage even physically possible with what happened?"

The fabric roll shifted slightly, as if its occupant intended to shrug her shoulders. "I dunno." she answered truthfully. "But you can get me out of this, right?"

 

The redhead placed a kiss on Setsuna's forehead, retrieving a nearby pair of scissors. "Naturally, sweetie." Hinoka assured gently.

Setsuna replied with her lazy smile. "Yay." she answered listlessly. "I just love it when the dashing princess comes to rescue me."

"Oh, you!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me a little while to notice it (hearing her voice mainly) but the reason that Setsuna's character charmed me to the extent that it did was I found her to be like a far more benevolent version of Cheryl from Archer.


	12. Kyōki no Jinsei (Jakob/Orochi)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jakob had always been a light sleeper and now it was more or less a necessity. Ever since his arrival in the new Valla, as Corrin's butler, his tasks have broadened to everything from a purchaser to a construction foreman. His wife Orochi gets him to de-stress with her own unique combination of playful trickery, reminiscing about their time in the war, and speculation about their upcoming parenthood.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: I don't know. Does a Japanese cover of Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca exist somewhere on the internet?  
> Justification: Well, Orochi did and does make him live a pretty crazy life with her. I mean, Jakob's a pretty intense guy anyway, but the thing with the herbs on the cliff side?!

As one of his knives found its target on the Garon-shaped target dummy, Jakob got some small sense of satisfaction amidst his fatigue. It simply would not do for a man of his age to be this tired at only eleven in the morning, he thought indignantly. But then again, he had a workload which would have literally killed a lesser man some time ago. Being that his master was left exceptionally short-handed by the war's end and the sheer monumental task of building a capital city (let alone the castle which was to lay at the town's center) was truly unimaginable, what with all the paperwork to be filled out for orders, hiring the labor to carry out the projects, paying for the labor, it was enough to drive one mad or to suicide. Or was that one of his subordinates who had already been driven to such a solution?

Removing another of his blades from his belt, the dutiful butler noticed something rather...odd about the trajectory of his last few projectiles. Instead of sailing through the air, the knives he'd thrown recently would sail for a brief distance, then invariably drop, interestingly enough, possessing a less-than-solid consistency.

"Godsdamnit Orochi!" he exclaimed upon realizing what had been done. "Why the devil are half of my knives made of rubber?!"

Emerging from behind a wall of bound timber, the tricky Hoshidan beauty gave a slightly-awkward variant of her trademark grin. "Well....the funny thing about that is-" she trailed off.

"This is no laughing matter, woman! If I don't get in exactly my thirty minutes of practice, my whole day will be thrown off-kilter, chaos and sloth will reign, and Lord Corrin's capital will never be completed!"

 

Orochi frowned with exasperation at her husband's inflexibility. "It's because you've been killing yourself with your work for months now!" she conceded. "It was the only way I could think of to get your attention! I must have tried to have this conversation with you a thousand times already, but you always insist nothing's wrong!"

"Orochi, don't be preposterous." the butler answered, having calmed down somewhat upon learning his wife's motives. "Surely, I've not been so intransigent as you claim."

Producing a scroll from a tote at her side, Orochi began to unfurl a scroll, easily several times longer than she was tall. "And this is just from the past eight months!" she replied, still with some incredulity.

"Oh. Well then..."

 

Seating himself on one of the barrels littering the courtyard-to-be, Jakob rested his exhausted head in his hands. Truly, he'd not meant to distress Orochi, his wife and mother-to-be of his children so. But Lord Corrin could not carry out the tasks to rebuild Valla all by himself and there was simply _so much_ work to be done, so many loose ends to tie up. It was simply maddening to allow it to go unattended.

"Do you remember when we were in Valla? Right near the end when we saw the castle collapse?" inquired Orochi with an inexplicable whimsy, seating herself next to the butler.

"Yes, I shan't forget it as long as I live." answered Jakob, his tone and expression betraying the uncharacteristic fear he felt. "Ever since I was a boy old enough to think on it, I'd never had much use for the gods. Truth is, I'd considered the First Dragons a mere fairy tale until I heard that....thing's roar. But the thing that scared me even more than the idea of an ancient, mad beast bent on destroying the world was the idea that I was absolutely powerless to do anything, even to protect Lord Corrin."

"Well, maybe you were right where you needed to be right at that moment? Remember the hordes of those creepy, translucent soldiers? And how you rallied your countrymen to hold the line and keep most of them out?"

"Yes, but-"

 

The Hoshidan woman interrupted Jakob with a kiss on the lips, followed by her trademark playful smirk.

"I'm saying that maybe you don't have to do everything yourself, you weirdo!" scolded Orochi playfully. "Different people are different! It makes the world go 'round! Maybe you're not slaying any dragons or being this godlike, omnipotent servant, but you can't let that get to you!"

"Are you saying that I should shirk my duties?!" inquired Jakob, half intrigued and half scandalized.

"Of course not! I'm just saying you can't do it all yourself! And you shouldn't try to! Even if you're not perfect at everything, you're great at the most important things; you're one hell of a good man, a husband, and father someday. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

 

Jakob made as close an expression as he could reasonably manage to his wife's smile. "Well, you know what they say." he began fondly. "Women always find out the truth sooner or later. Even if, or especially when their men don't want to hear or see it."

Pecking him on the lips once more, Orochi returned the playful smirk as only its originator could. "Damned right, they do!" she replied. "You're damned right they do."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a trouble writing for these two for whatever reason. Orochi was, for whatever reason, pretty easy, but Jakob on the other hand, was a bit of a challenge. Which is interesting, because unlike a lot of people, I didn't mind him/his character in general (even found him kind of charming, then again, as far as liking/disliking playable characters, my tastes aren't exactly mainstream *coughs* Chapter 3! Chapter 5! *coughs*), he was just kind of difficult to write for.


	13. Dragon King, Dragon Queen (Corrin/Azura)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year and a half after the fall of Anankos, Corrin and Azura's comrades show up in the new Valla to pay their respects on their big day as the new-old nation celebrates the union of its king and long-lost princess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: Koji Kondo - The End Credits (from the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask), 4:19 - 5:05  
> Justification: It's their wedding, they're the Anju and Kafei, duh.

Ever since the Silent Dragon's defeat and the formal Hoshido-Nohr peace accord, the planning for this day had (at least on some level) been in progress, whether by the bride and groom themselves, or their whole, loving, crazy family. The assorted chaos and crushing responsibilities having finally abated somewhat for most involved parties, a year and a half had come and gone since that fateful day when the Yato's chosen hero and his songstress did battle with the Silent Dragon and put an end to his age-old reign of terror. All had gotten on with their own lives by this point in time and a few even had families of their own by now, but in a certain clearing overlooking a certain bay in the new Valla, the comrades and allies of the dragon prince and the lady of the lake had gathered to pay their respects to the man and woman who had made it all possible, standing in a single-file procession as they awaited the bride and groom.

All were of course, clad in whatever finery their respective means would allow them (a now noticeably-pregnant Felicia inexplicably praising and critiquing their respective choices to Leo). Sleeping son nestled in her arms, one queen wore the most intricate, extravagant finery her adopted homeland had to offer, her husband standing proudly and regally in his robes as to put even his own father to shame, beaming proudly at the brother with whom he had so little time. The other queen was clad in a simple, yet dignified formal dress, her girlish pigtails let down to run naturally, babbling affectionately at the son in her husband's arms, said husband seeming inexplicably more at peace having done away with the warlord's armor of his father and previous Nohrian kings, alternating his proud, paternal smile between his biological son and the man for whom he had served as a surrogate father figure.

Corrin himself of course, stood at the center of his dear friends and allies, unsurprisingly looking perhaps even more regal and radiant than his counterparts in his cape and brilliant white armor as he and his guests awaited his queen, his best friend, his most steadfast ally, the love of his life.

Of course, once she arrived on the scene, emerging from the town gate, accompanied by her two bridesmaids (and the first's retainer-slash-bodyguard-slash-lover), all eyes turned immediately to the third queen, her flowing, smoke-grey dress trailing behind her, finally taking her groom's hand. "I was so worried that this day would never come." she said, on the brink of tears of joy. "We had so much working against us. Even fate itself seemed to be working against us. But you never wavered, you never stopped believing in all of us, never stopped believing in me. Without you, none of this would have ever been possible, my love. Words are not enough to express how much I love you."

The dragon king beamed fondly at his queen. "I could say the same to you." he said affectionately. "Your beautiful voice first drew me to you, but your compassion, your kindness, your indomitable spirit and persistence are what stole my heart, made me sure I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life with this amazing, wonderful woman. Let me repeat what I said when we threw your mother's pendant into that lake: I don't care about the painful song you used to sing. I want to write a new one with you. I want to sing a song of peace and hope for the future with you, Azura, my queen, my love. Will you join me in this?"

"Need you even have asked? I'd love nothing more, my king."

As Valla's king and queen joined their lips to seal their union, the reactions from the gathered onlookers, while all positive, reflected their cultural and personality traits greatly. Those of Nohr applauded primarily, Sakura and Elise wept tears of joy on the shoulders of each other and Hana, while Ryoma, hands to the heavens, led his male retainers (and other sister) in a chorus of three shouts of _"Ten thousand years!"_ as they repeated the gesture.

Finally, there was the matter of the two outliers: Well away from the festivities, the old knight Gunter smiled before turning away to begin his self-imposed exile. Even in spite of all his sins, Corrin had grown into a fine man in his own right, soon to be with a family of his own. Meanwhile, as she soared over the nearby bay, Lilith shot off three bursts of otherworldly flames to the sky above in celebration, as if to commemorate giving away her long-lost brother in marriage and the liberation of their father from his age-old madness and ceaseless pain.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I didn't expect to do so, but I legitimately teared up writing this.
> 
> I guess you could say this is technically me drawing out the tortured comparison of Corrin and Azura to Link and Zelda even further if you take into account the theory about Kafei being Link's Terminan counterpart. Then again, if that were the case, I feel like Majora would have just murdered him outright instead of screwing around with Kafei by turning him into a kid (a sentence that which now that I type it out/read it, looks a lot wronger than it sounded at first), but then again, that mask wasn't exactly playing with a full deck, so who the hell knows.
> 
> Really, if you've seen the scene, you have an excellent idea of how exactly to picture their surroundings. Basically outside Clock Town's eastern gate.
> 
> As far as I can tell for the second-gen characters, I'm pretty sure I got the chronology mostly right: They mentioned his voice changing fairly recently, so I guessed Shigure was around...fifteen maybe? Possibly a very late fourteen, I don't know. Forrest I'm certain was late fifteen or sixteen; he was way too comfortable in his own skin/sexuality for me to put him much younger than that. And I already mentioned Shiro and Siegbert who I'm sure were seventeen-eighteen, Rajhat possibly even slightly older than them.


	14. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As two interlopers prepare to return whence they came, Severa and Inigo reflect upon the many choices one makes in this life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recommended music: Koji Kondo - The End Credits (from the Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask), 5:05 - End  
> Justification: If you've indulged this for this long already, you may as well see it through to the logical endpoint.

In a particularly dense wood on the continent's northern edges lay a structure known as the Dragon's Gate. Supposedly created by the First Dragons, perhaps to keep in contact with their kin in other worlds, the forest, let alone the structure itself, was very seldom seen by even the most intrepid and curious of human explorers. Nonetheless, two otherworldly warriors, having upheld their promise to that last, desperate member of the legendary race (but bought to this world by his power, so proximity to the gate was encouraged strongly) now sought to return where they belonged and interestingly enough, one of the warriors having her husband in tow.

Granted it had been difficult to find an opportune moment to slip away like this. Severa had to see that her erstwhile fellow retainer (among other things) had settled into her role as Ryoma and Camilla's most trusted caretaker for their son, Inigo was talking down borderline riots at among Krakenburg's help at the news that the king and his queen were expecting once again, and the entire continent was celebrating the recent birth of Valla's Prince' Shigure and their presence was not only expected, but required for the festivities. Nonetheless, life in this world carried on much as before their arrival and as it would after their departure.

"Truly, I must thank you for this, my friend." drawled Inigo. "I'd never heard of three people on the pegasusback at one time, let alone experienced it!"

"An honor and a privilege." answered Subaki proudly. "After all, a friend of my beloved is a friend of mine."

 

Severa scoffed slightly. "He's more of an acquaintance than anything." she barbed. "And speaking of acquaintances, I can't believe that idiot really didn't come. He's still seriously mooning over Princess Elise, he's disgusting, she's almost identical to his mother!"

 _"Hello, Mr. Kettle, there's a good friend of mine I'd like you to meet."_ thought Inigo tiredly. "Oh, come now, Severa! Owain is simply following the directives of his own heart! I'm sure we'll meet again someday and if we don't, we'll just have to trust it's for the best."

"Of course!" chimed a ridiculously-familiar voice. "Follow your heart! That's been our family's motto forever! Of course, that's when it's for profit, but same difference."

"Oh, Miss Anna!" said Subaki, his heart jumping into his throat. "I'd thought we were the only humans in ages around here!"

 

The intrepid, red-haired merchant gave a knowing smirk. "Don't be silly! Me and my sisters do this kind of thing all the time!" she informed.

"Really now?" asked a quite-intrigued Inigo.

"Oh, yeah! In fact, just the other week, this imp had gotten lost on his way home and asked me to escort him back to his home world..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's not a new theory in the least, but I'm pretty sure the Nintendo franchises take place on shifted dimensional planes or else due to some sort of dimensional fuckery or another, as that would explain absolutely everything, such as:
> 
> \- How dimensions seem to cluster closer together according to theme (Medievalish-themed Legend of Zelda, Fire Emblem or sci-fi F-Zero, Metroid, and Starfox or fantastical like Mario).
> 
> \- How artifacts from one dimension keep ending up in others on a pretty regular basis.
> 
> \- How particularly powerful individuals traverse these dimensions to some degree or another.


End file.
